Native Species, Human Communities and Cultural Relationships

Paul Knights

Environmental Values, 2008, vol. 17, issue 3, pages 353-373

Abstract: Species are ordinarily conceived of as being native or non-native to either a geographical location or an ecological community. I submit that species may also be native or non-native to human communities. I argue, by way of an analogy with varieties of domesticated and cultivated species, that this sense of nativity is grounded by the cultural relationships human communities have with species. A further analogy is drawn with the motivations of varietal nativists - who seek to protect native varieties of domesticated and cultivated species for the sake of their cultural value - to argue for the consideration of the cultural value of native species in environmental policy decisions regarding invasive non-native species.

Keywords: Species; culture; value; community (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D46 Q2 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008

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